Evaluating the risk to Australia’s flora from Phytophthora cinnamomi

Keith L. McDougall; Sarah Barrett; Renate Velzeboer; David M. Cahill; Tim Rudman

doi:10.1071/BT23086

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Evaluating the risk to Australia’s flora from Phytophthora cinnamomi

Keith L. McDougall

^A ^* , Sarah Barrett ^B , Renate Velzeboer ^C , David M. Cahill ^D and Tim Rudman ^E

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Environment and Genetics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia.

^B Regional & Fire Management Services, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Albany, WA, Australia.

^C Department for Environment and Water, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

^D School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Vic., Australia.

^E Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., Australia.

^* Correspondence to: keith.mcdougall@latrobe.edu.au

Handling Editor: Noushka Reiter

Australian Journal of Botany 72, BT23086 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT23086

Submitted: 16 October 2023 Accepted: 4 May 2024 Published: 23 May 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands is a destructive pathogen of Australian native vegetation, often causing permanent damage to ecosystems and threatening the survival of rare, susceptible species. Despite that, much information about the effects of P. cinnamomi on plant species remains unpublished and the risk of extinction to most species is unknown.

Aims

We aimed to classify the risk of extinction from P. cinnamomi to Australian native plants.

Methods

We used available data and personal knowledge about P. cinnamomi effects on plants, spatial data on plant species distribution and habitat suitability of P. cinnamomi to assign an extinction-risk category of low, moderate, high or very high.

Key results

There are currently 65 plant species at a very high risk of extinction in Australia as a result of P. cinnamomi infection. The genera Andersonia, Banksia, Darwinia, Daviesia, Epacris, Gastrolobium, Grevillea, Hibbertia, Isopogon, Lambertia, Latrobea, Leucopogon, Phebalium and Styphelia have multiple species at a very high risk of extinction, most of which occur in south-western Western Australia.

Conclusions

The available data confirmed the high risk to the Australian flora from P. cinnamomi and identified species in plant families not previously known to be affected, highlighting data gaps (e.g. lack of knowledge about effects and risk in orchids and grasses).

Implications

Much more work is required to fully understand the risk from P. cinnamomi (and other Phytophthora species) to the Australian flora.

Keywords: Banksia, Ericaceae, extinction risk, host response, Oomycetes, pathogens, Phytophthora susceptibility, threatened species.

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